Hi guys! I can't believe I've been away for so long...life is busy and these days I barely have time to go to the toilet, but I figured you guys deserved some form of an update. The story is slow going for me, and I don't think there'll be much drama for our beloved characters, I guess it's just me trying to wrap it up...

Disclaimer: I might have taken a while to update this, but JP totally spent longer on the series.

Also, did you guys hear there's a ninth book next year? I am so behind in this fandom...and potentially getting too old haha.

Growing Up
Chapter Fifty: Establishing Identities

"The girls are so much hotter in high school," Daniel, Gazzy's friend commented, seemingly overwhelmed by the large number of girls walking past them. "They dress better too."

Gazzy nodded agreeing. "Yeah, some people have changed a lot since middle school."

"Yeah, like Melissa James has a nice rack now!" Daniel nodded at the girl who was currently nibbling on what looked like a chicken bone, sitting a little away from them.

Gazzy laughed but shook his head. "I don't care how big they get; I would not touch her with a ten foot pole. She's a weirdo. She used to put locks of her hair in her Valentine's Day cards."

Gazzy shuddered while Daniel laughed nodding his head vigorously. "I remember that!"

Nudge walked past her brother and his friend Daniel, who were currently cracking up over something they were discussing before—probably something stupid—with three other girls explaining something embarrassing that had happened to her at the mall the other day, as her friends laughed. Gazzy nodded at his sister in what he hoped was a cool way, and he was pleased to see her friends falter and blush. Nudge rolled her eyes, but gave her brother a genuine smile and a punch on the shoulder and continued on her way.

"Is your brother really on the football team?" Zara asked, almost shyly. Nudge gagged at the thought of Gazzy being anyone's crush.

"Yeah," she answered off-handedly. "He's hoping to make varsity either next year or junior year."

"He's kinda cute," Ellie commented, turning her head back to sneak a look at Gazzy as they walked further and further away. "His friend too."

Nudge made a face. "Ew guys! That's my brother; I don't need to hear this. And I've known Daniel since elementary school and he's a complete bonehead."

Her friends laughed and Fae poked Nudge playfully. "Don't worry babe, you're still the better looking sibling."

Nudge laughed and flicked her hair over her shoulder in mock narcissism. "Well thanks. But compared to Gazzy and my older brother, that's not saying much. My sister however, I can only hope to look anything close to her."

"Oh my god! You have an older brother?" Ellie gasped. "He's gotta be way hotter than Gazzy!"

Nudge groaned as the three girls laughed at her expense. "Guys really? Lay off my family!"

"So…" Fae started, and Nudge was instantly suspicious. "What does your dad look like?"

The three girls laughed again as Nudge shook her head and cringed.

"Your sister is so hot!" Daniel exclaimed, his eyes focused and mouth drooling after her legs and ass. "She's grown up pretty well."

Gazzy shoved his friend and shuddered. "Ew! Come on man! Back off!"

Daniel held his hands up in surrender and nodded. "Okay. I'll stop, but I'm not making any promises with backing off."

Gazzy laughed and shook his head when a girl, she would have been a freshman like him, caught his eye. He didn't recognise her from his middle school, so she must have been from a different district. She was well dressed, almost as immaculate as Nudge, and one word stood out in his mind: perfection. He watched as she threw her head back slightly as she laughed at her friend's story, but she still managed to appear graceful and poised. She wore minimal make-up, and had her long straight brunette hair simply pushed back by a black headband. She was dressed in a button up feminine blouse and a mid-thigh skirt and black Mary-Jane wedges.

"Whoa," he breathed out.

Daniel followed his line of vision and snorted. A girl like her did not look like a girl who would date a jock-in-the-making. Particularly if that jock-in-the-making was named Gazzy. "Aiming high mate."

Gazzy didn't seem to hear him, his eyes still transfixed on the unknown girl. "I need to know her."

"Slow down buddy, a girl like that wouldn't even breathe the same air as you." Gazzy still wasn't listening to him, and so Daniel gave him a little shove. "Gaz? Gazzy?"

No response. Daniel slapped his hand hard against Gazzy's mess of blonde hair. "Gaz!"

Gazzy snapped out of his trance and rubbed the back of his head. "Hey! What the hell was that for?"

Daniel nodded to the retreating mystery girl. "Losing your balls over a girl you don't even know? High school's changed you man."

Gazzy rolled his eyes, but took the jab light-heartedly. "Shut up."

-:-:-:-:-:-

Nudge nervously entered her math class, taking a moment to survey the room and scope out her possible seat choices (she and Gazzy avoided sitting together because they didn't want to be known as those twins who had to be together all the freaking time). She spotted Will, the guy who had asked her for her notes a few weeks back, but apart from sharing delayed smiles—and walking to History that first time—they hadn't made the leap to become friends. Nudge had always been quick to make friends, but high school felt like a completely different world compared to middle school and elementary. The people were older and more judgemental, and despite being comfortable with who she was as a person, there were times she'd doubt herself.

He was seated three seats from the wall in the second back row out of four, a relatively safe distance from the teacher; not the very back, but not too close to the front. The room was relatively empty, and with a small burst of confidence on her part, she took the chance to finally sit next to him—she always arrived to class a little too late and so ended up seated at the front.

She walked slowly, and as she approached him closer and closer, she felt the dread and self-doubt exponentially rise in her. He didn't notice her yet, still occupied by his phone, mindlessly checking Facebook and other various social networks, until she reached the table.

Oh my god, what if he doesn't remember me? What if he thinks I'm weird for choosing to sit right next to him out of all the empty tables in the room? I'm not trying to hit on him, I swear. Even though he is cute. Oh god, he's noticed me now, I can't pretend I was aiming for the seat behind him. Okay Nudge, relax, and just put your bag and books down and turn up the Ride charm. Oh go—

Her inner monologue was interrupted by a warm genuine smile and him asking, "Hey, you were the one who lent me your notes right? Um, Nudge right?"

Nudge grinned, feeling a little of her uneasiness dissolve a little. "Yep! And you're Will?"

"Sure am," he answered easily. "Thanks for that by the way. Your notes are really detailed and neat."

Nudge could almost feel all of her nervousness leave her completely. "Don't worry about it, I'm happy to help. Even in the future."

Will nodded and smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"So…" Nudge began, trying not to let the awkwardness get to her, "what are your subjects?"

Will locked his phone and placed it onto his desk, screen down—which Nudge took as a good sign, which meant he was willing to continue talking to her—and checked his timetable to make sure he wouldn't miss any of his subjects. "The core subjects obviously, and my electives are PE and, don't make fun of me, calculus."

Nudge shook her head and laughed lightly. "Don't worry, I've got the calculus too! And I've picked up French for now, but I'm not sure I'll keep it next year. Who are your teachers?"

Both teens took out their timetables to compare classes and found they had history together, math, and English. Nudge also learnt that Will had an older sister and that he lived relatively near her. He was cute and funny and super sweet, and Nudge could see herself being friends with him for a long while—she had always wished for a friendship like Max and Fang. By the end of the class Nudge could feel that she had established a solid friendship and felt the flutter of butterflied deep down in her stomach.

-:-:-:-:-:-

MAX POV

"Hey Sean!" Nat waved enthusiastically at a concerned looking Sean, who muttered a quick hello before continuing on his way reading from a document. She slumped down in her seat and picked up a stick of celery. "What happened to 'wave as you walk past'?"

She took a large bite of the celery before scrunching her nose up in distaste and throwing down the offending vegetable.

Rach chuckled at her reaction and took the stick for herself. "Don't like celery?"

"Urgh, I always give celery a chance and it disappoints me every time," she answered after forcing down the celery but not without some difficult chewing. "I'll just have a salad and some muesli. Being healthy sucks."

At this point Luke arrived with a tray holding a large burger, a bowl of fries, and onion rings. He immediately dug into his food, for once not bothering Nat with his unhealthy meal and only stopped when he noticed her practically drooling into his onion rings. He roughly wiped his mouth and swallowed before asking, "Did you want some?"

Nat shook her head, but her eyes didn't leave the sight of food in front of her. "Burger, fries , and onion rings. They're just taunting me now!"

Luke pushed his bowl of onion rings towards her. "Take some, I don't mind."

Everyone on our table watched amusedly at the internal battle Nat was having. She shook her head and picked up her muesli. "I shouldn't."

"Are you sure?" Luke asked, genuinely concerned with Nat's battle. She bit her lip and nodded.

Luke shrugged and picked up his burger only to have Nat shuffle closer to him and take a big whiff of his burger. I stifled a laugh when she moaned.

"Fuck it, I'm doing it. I'll pay for it later, but I don't care." She stood up quickly and practically ran to the cafeteria line, shoving a few confused sophomore students out of her way.

"Jeez," Luke muttered mouth full. "I didn't realise how much pain she was in."

Fang smirked as Nat waited impatiently in line. "Only Nat."

"Did you guys know that Sean has already fixed the plumbing problem in the girls' bathroom?" Rach asked, wide eyed.

"Really?" I asked, shocked and a little impressed. "It's barely been a week!"

"I know!" Rach gushes. "He's really serious about this."

Fang shrugged. "Sean's always been proactive."

I nodded agreeing. "Yeah, he once organised a petition in the third grade for the sports equipment be available during lunch."

Rach's mouth dropped open. "A petition? In the third grade?"

Luke nodded. "I know. That sounds like something you would do."

Rach sends a glare at him and rolls her eyes. "That's impressive."

"Once he's got his mind on something, he works for it," I commented, picking a fry up.

At this point Nat arrives with her fresh plate of unhealthy goodness and sits down, and I can see that her mouth is already full of fries.

"You okay there?" Rach asks, trying not to laugh at the small girl opposite her.

Nat looks up and gives her a wide accomplish grin. "Yes. So worth it."

A filler, but I'm creatively inept at the moment.

Read, review, and check out my other stories in the meantime!
- FlowerChild22